(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an on-line role-playing game system and method, and more particularly to an on-line role-playing game system and method in which buildings arranged on a road map are developed according to the degree of experience of a user who performs a quest.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Great attention has been paid to on-line games as the next generation growth engine. At present, the on-line games occupy a significant percentage of the overall game market and show a rapidly rising growth rate every year with increasing possibility of growth. In such a trend, foremost existing game-related enterprises have established long-term strategies and run businesses for on-line games, and a number of other enterprises are currently joining in the on-line game market.
Although some great work is currently produced in the on-line game market as a result of large-scale investments, differently from the past, a great amount of game software that depends on small-scale capital and manpower in view of characteristics of on-line games has still been developed and come to the market. However, only a small minority of the many games advances to be a top brand and it is realistic that most game-related enterprises suffer from much difficulty in getting into the game market.
Among domestic games, some 3D on-line games that began in the latter half of 2001 have assume assumed third generational characteristics and structures. This may be known from the very concretely represented plan factors of LINEAGE® II of NCSOFT® CORPORATION. As another new trend, on-line games with a variety of formats and backgrounds have appeared, which is not limited to existing role-playing games (RPGs). In addition, an aspect of development to be achieved in the future is the advent of on-line games causing a radical change of a view of the world of on-line games, such as “Tactical Commanders” of the NEXON® CORPORATION, “Outpost Online”, and “NavyField”, or on-line games materializing diverse social experiences on-line, such as “MotorCity Online” and SIMS™ ONLINE.
On the other hand, from a view point of user interface, games using electronic means may be generally classified into a single player game, a multi-player game, and an on-line multiplayer RPG.
The single player game refers to a game in which a gamer solely operates a game program on a computer. Specifically, the single player game may refer to all games played by a gamer solely, including old arcade games such as SUPER MARIO BROS.® or GALAGA®, up-bringing simulation games such as “PrincessMaker”, strategy simulation games such as “Samgugji”, and action games such as ROGUE SPEAR® or HALF-LIFE®, irrespective of the genre of the game. Most existing computer games are single player games.
Such a single player game may be said to be a kind of novel from the first-person point of view. The basic framework of the novel is fixed by a game developer, so a gamer cannot help but following the basic frame. That is, in the single player game, a gamer is nothing but a visitor who visits a new cosmos created by a game developer as a master of the cosmos, and leaves the cosmos after trying the flavor of events and all sorts of delicacies set by the game developer. The role of the game developer is therefore extremely important in the single player game. This is because important factors of the game such as a realistic and interesting story (or scenario) of the game, adjustment of a degree of difficulty according to a level of the game, graphic effects as a perceptual factor of actual feeling, and the like, are created by the game developer.
On the other hand, as modifications of the single player game, there are games organized to compete or cooperate between two or more gamers. In addition, recently, games have appeared in which a plurality of gamers play a game simultaneously using their computers directly linked with one another through a wired line or indirectly linked with one another through the Internet. Such games are the wide multi-player games.
Game developers say that the multi-player games organized to compete between a plurality of gamers allows the gamers to be absorbed in the game more deeply and for a longer time because the gamers can always expect new responses and results in the game, while a gamer in the existing single player game can easily predict a result of play of the game as he gets familiar with it because he plays a game with the artificial intelligence (AI) of a computer. Techniques for implementing the multi-player game are complicated, but it is enough to regard the multi-player game as a kind of chess game, Paduk game, or poker game.
On the other hand, the role-playing game (RPG) is a game in which a gamer plays his role in the game to accomplish a given task. In the role-playing game, the gamer first selects one of characters of the game, plays the game using specified personalities such as intelligence, stamina, magic index, and the like of the character, and develops his power through strenuous battles, conversations, or acquisition of items to accomplish his mission. Such a role-playing game is similar to a traditional adventure game. However, in addition to game factors of the adventure game, the role-playing game further includes game factors such as character growth and development, conversational strategic battles, puzzle solutions, and the like. In addition, the role-playing game is a genre of game employing a NPC (Non-Player Character) and has a world of quest and grandiose fantasy.
In addition, a story line of the role-playing game employs a non-linear system, not a linear system as employed in the traditional adventure game, and has actions as an important factor of the game. As typical examples of the role-playing game, there are various games such as DIABLO® of BLIZZARD® ENTERTAINMENT, INC., FINAL FANTASY® VII of SQUARESOFT®, DUNGEON KEEPER® of Bullfrog Company, and “Genesis” series of SoftMax Company. In addition, on-line multi-user dungeon (MUD) games in recent fashion include those such as LINEAGE® of NCSOFT® CORPORATION, “Nation of Wind” of NEXON® CORPORATION, “RedMoon” of JC Entertainment Company, ULTIMA ONLINE® of ORIGIN®, EVERQUEST® of SONY® CORPORATION, and the like.
Scenarios and directing are the most important factors in role-playing games. Of course, fascinating graphics are also important as ever for all games. However, in a role-playing game, the scenario and the directing take precedence over the graphics. Specifically, since characters in the role-playing game are brought up with acting power accumulated based on their fighting strength, capability, experience, and the like, the role-playing game should be designed such that gamers play the game while grasping situations of progress of the game and such that striking power of a hero is strengthened as the hero defeats enemies or his experience is accumulated, and the enemies also strengthen in level of striking power, and accordingly, a degree of difficulty of the game is raised.
On the other hand, the on-line role-playing game, which is also referred to in the technical terminology as MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game), is a different type of game from the multi-player game. As described earlier, a prototype of the multi-player game may be compared to “Paduk”, a chess game, or a poker game in which a plurality of players participate.
Specifically, the multi-player game is over once victory or defeat is decided, although a result of the game is stored. However, a MMORPG is not so. In the MMORPG, the game continues to advance and varies independently of whether or not gamers continue to play the game. Therefore, characters created in the MMORPG are not in non-continual existence, but are in continual existence such that they continually suffer from new events and should adapt themselves to the events.
In addition, the MMORPG is a game of a special form in which a plurality of gamers creates a story and structure of the game by using and modifying environments provided by a game developer. MMORPG environments, set by the game developer, exist as NPCs like monsters. However, what is more important than NPC is Playable Characters handled by the gamers, That is, initial settings of the MMORPG are changed by collective activities of the gamers, which results in a completely different game. This is a process similar to dangerous traffic environments that may be formed if drivers do not observe traffic regulations although the traffic regulations are well enacted.
Now, with the advent of such an on-line role playing game, a conventional industrial social and standardized idea that computer games are designed and produced by game programmers and designers and are nothing but imaginary plays alienated from real affairs and life no longer has a useful meaning.
On the other hand, conventional simulation games, particularly simulation games of land transportation means such as vehicles and motorcycles, mostly employ a system in which a ranking is determined according to only running time of the land transportation means repeatedly running on a fixed track or road.
Hereinafter, a conventional on-line game system and a conventional method of MMORPG racing game will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an example of a conventional on-line game system.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional on-line game system is composed of a plurality of gamers 121, 122, and 123, and a game web site 110. The game web site 110 may include an on-line game 111 accessed by the plurality of gamers 121, 122, and 123, a contents server 112, and a game database (DB) 113. When the plurality of gamers 121, 122, and 123 accesses the on-line game 111 in real time on-line through the Internet, the on-line game 111 provides a game to the plurality of gamers 121, 122, and 123 on-line in conjunction with the contents server 112 and the game DB 113 within the game web site 110.
On the other hand, FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a conventional method of a MMORPG racing game.
Referring to FIG. 2, in the conventional method of a MMOPRG racing game, first, a plurality of gamers access a MMORPG racing game (S210), and then, perform a log-in process (S220).
Thereafter, each of the plurality of gamers selects one of a plurality of servers (S230). Next, each gamer selects a racing car or tunes his racing car, and goes through a car preparation procedure of purchasing items and installing the purchased items at the car (S240).
Next, each gamer selects a kind of racing game such as battle racing or destination racing (S250).
Thereafter, each gamer plays a MMORPG racing game in which the plurality of gamers participate (S260).
At this time, the MMORPG racing game is progressed between players (PC) operated by the plurality of gamers (S270). More specifically, for example, battle racing is progressed between a player car and another player car on one road.
Next, the game is progressed according to a MMORPG racing story and each server updates the results of racing in real time (S280).
Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the MMORPG racing game is to be terminated (S290). If it is determined that the MMORPG racing game is to be terminated, the MMORPG racing game is terminated.
However, the conventional RPG gamer server has a problem in that diverse maps reflecting characteristics of gamers who access the same game for a long time cannot be provided without imposing a burden on the servers, and it is difficult to infinitely provide maps for progressing the RPG game story.